I carried so much resentment thinking that's what God wanted—for me to just accept everything and smile. 😔

But I've learned something different. Forgiveness isn't about the other person. It's about you. It's about putting down the burden you've been carrying so they don't get to live rent-free in your heart forever.

When you refuse to forgive, you're not punishing them. You're punishing yourself. You're the one who carries the weight. You're the one whose sleep is disturbed. You're the one whose peace is stolen. And God doesn't ask us to martyr ourselves by holding onto hurt. He asks us to let it go. 💫

Real forgiveness doesn't mean staying around people who hurt you. It means releasing the grip that hurt has on your soul. It means saying "what you did was wrong, and I'm not carrying this anymore." It means freedom, not for them—for you.

That's the patience I've learned through faith. Not patience with people who hurt you, but patience with yourself as you learn to heal. The difference is everything. 🕊️